Am I ready to start university?
You won’t be the only one who has asked themselves this question, and the simple answer is “you won’t know till you try”.
But there are some things you can think about to reassure yourself to help you feel ready.
Do you know what subjects you enjoy?
Having a clear idea of what you wish to study is important. This will help you narrow down your options and help you compare courses and universities, making sure you choose the right one for you.
If you’re not sure what to study, think about what subjects you’ve enjoyed whilst at school or college. Or think about your hobbies and interests. Do any of those fit with a subject you could study at university? Narrow your ideas down to a few different courses, then attend course talks at different universities to get a feel for the different subjects and then decide which one feels the best to you.
Once you’re on the course, if you start to feel like you made the wrong choice, you can speak to a member of firstpoint about moving course.
Do you have an idea of what job you’d like?
Having a career plan or goals can help you decide whether university should be your next step. Some careers require you to have a degree, and a university course can help lead you into a job within that career.
But loads of people don’t have an exact idea of what career they’d like and instead choose university to give you time to find that out. ºüÀêÊÓƵ can introduce you to different jobs and careers available to you, especially if your course offers work experience and placement opportunities.
Do you feel ready for more independence?
One of the great benefits of going to university is that there’s a lot more you can gain from your experience.
Gaining confidence
Moving away from home for university gives you the chance to learn how to take care of yourself and your living space, and travelling to university gives you experience in managing your own travel plans and making sure you get to your classes on time.
You’ll also gain experience in managing different commitments, as you balance university work, any part-time work you apply for and taking time to relax and socialise around your lectures.
The time management and organisational skills you’ll develop will help demonstrate your strong work ethic and reliability when looking for jobs later on.
Finding your people
ºüÀêÊÓƵ is a great way to meet new friends and people who share the same interests and values as you. Getting to know the people on your course, or joining social and sports societies or even working as a student ambassador are just some of the ways you could meet new people.
Speaking to people on my course helped me meet people I could walk to and from the train station with, who helped me feel sociable and form the friendships I have now. Developing friendships with people who can support you and help you through your time at university I've to be really helpful. Especially around exam times as we understand how we're each feeling and can cheer each other on.
Final thoughts
ºüÀêÊÓƵ is an exciting time full of changes and opportunities, but if you don’t feel ready to go straight after A-levels that’s okay. Many people prefer to take a gap year and then attend university in the next year, but you can also start university at any point in your life.
Taking a year out was the right decision for me. I decoded to spend some time working and travelling to new countries, and the people I met and the skills I learnt helped me feel confident within myself and ready for university.
If you are still deciding if ºüÀêÊÓƵ is the right option for you, try attending some Open Days to get a feel for what ºüÀêÊÓƵ could be like, but there's no rush to make your choice. ºüÀêÊÓƵ will always be an option for you whenever you feel ready.